Could the Superman Movie Suffer the Same Fate as Watchmen?

Could the Superman Movie Suffer the Same Fate as Watchmen?

NEW information coming out on the the rights to the Superman character are giving us a feeling of déjà vu. And with Zack Snyder onboard as director, this is starting to sound like the Watchmen legal battle all over again!

News
By ComicBookMovie - Oct 18, 2010 09:10 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: THR

This from The Hollywood Reporter...

Today a key battle was supposed to be waged in the war over the future of Superman.

But instead of a heated courtroom showdown, the judge overseeing the case has delayed the matter as lawyers for Warner Bros. and the heirs of Superman co-creators Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel await an appeal of a procedural ruling.

As you’ll recall, Warners and its DC Comics division are embroiled in an epic fight over rights to the Man of Steel. After a judge ruled a few years back that the studio might lose certain copyrights associated with the character, Warners went on the offensive. The studio hired aggressive new lawyers and sued Marc Toberoff, attorney for the Siegels and Shusters, claiming Toberoff improperly convinced the families to back out of deals and terminate their lucrative copyright assignments relating to Superman.

In fighting back at that lawsuit, Toberoff filed a bunch of motions seeking to dismiss the complaint and have it declared a violation of his free speech rights under California's anti-SLAPP law. Warners then amended its lawsuit slightly, prompting Toberoff to file his motions again. But the judge ruled the anti-SLAPP motion moot due to the amended complaint.

Still with us? It's pretty complicated, but in a nutshell, as Warners pressed forward with its case, including noticing the depositions of the Siegel and Shuster heirs, Toberoff appealed the order saying the anti-SLAPP motion was mooted. And Friday, on the eve of a scheduled hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright, the judge stayed the entire case against Toberoff pending resolution of that appeal.

That means the studio’s controversial litigation against Toberoff sits on ice temporarily. How long? Appeals can take as long as 18 months but Warners can file a motion to dismiss the appeal, which could speed things up. Still, as the studio ramps up production of its latest Superman movie, the future of the character remains very much in question.

Both Toberoff and Warners' lead attorney Daniel Petrocelli declined to comment.

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THEHAWK
THEHAWK - 10/18/2010, 9:44 PM
I'm still not clear on what this means for the comics, Oh mighty Galactus.

If the heirs win, will they be able to take the Superman characters out of DC comics?
Jimdlux
Jimdlux - 10/18/2010, 9:47 PM
All this to ruin the Superman franchise...
CrookedJaw
CrookedJaw - 10/18/2010, 9:50 PM
Someone's got it out for Snyder haha
ThaJackaL
ThaJackaL - 10/18/2010, 9:51 PM
Well if they hire Brandon Routh I hope the family ends up messing up the entire movie, and it doesn't get made.

Id rather not have a new movie for another decade then have to sit through another Routh disaster.
DasBoot
DasBoot - 10/18/2010, 9:57 PM
Sooo is this going to slow down the new movie from getting made?? I'm all for people getting paid for what's theirs, but at the same time I want an on time Nolanfied Superman movie.
deathoncredit
deathoncredit - 10/18/2010, 9:58 PM
Marc Toberoff...the greatest (that is to say, WORST) villain in comic book history?
WorldsGreatestdetective
WorldsGreatestdetective - 10/18/2010, 10:11 PM
[frick] the Shuster/siegal heirs who are greddy bastards to realize that Superman is no longer the character their granddaddy's created. Every artist and writer has an equal part of creating the man of steel. I would totally slap the heirs and make them realize that they deserve crap since the creators died and that Superman is more than a character but an idol and symbol who has become the character he is due to hundreds of artist, writers, and fans reactions. And Toberoff can take me to court for all I care because he is a greedy ass who deserves no sympathy when Warner bros. proves he is a guilty member.
IronicMan
IronicMan - 10/18/2010, 10:13 PM
Do we honestly NEED another Superman film? I think it's only fair the family of Supe's creators get their due, it's putting human interest before business (which... never happens, now that I think of it :P).
weaponxcustoms
weaponxcustoms - 10/18/2010, 10:20 PM
wow,...sounds like another Hobbit green light, red light game
Creature
Creature - 10/18/2010, 10:29 PM
Greedy needledick pricks.
ComradeGrey
ComradeGrey - 10/18/2010, 10:42 PM
So...we're gonna get a shitty movie out of this deal too?
Wadey09
Wadey09 - 10/18/2010, 10:47 PM
i swear its all about money. and those with money ALWAYS want more. it pisses me off that this may be Supes' last chance to catch his breath before the "heirs" whisk him away!
seriously! Superman the Reboot may actually put the Man of Steel back on his pedastal after the Singer fiasco, and the "heirs" hinder it!
i may not go postal, but nuclear may be the more proper term!

(ironically, i am not the biggest Superman fan, but of course i have been waiting anxiously for the right moment to see him on the silver screen properly.)
TheNameIsBetty
TheNameIsBetty - 10/18/2010, 10:49 PM
Wait....

Why would they take Superman out? They would be losing money....
They wouldn't do that...would they? ;(
JigJRod55
JigJRod55 - 10/18/2010, 10:57 PM
So what if your daddy created Superman? Why don't you find your own way to make money?
SandMan101
SandMan101 - 10/18/2010, 11:27 PM
Seriously lazy [frick]ing retards. They already get money from it greedy sons of bitches!!!
LP4
LP4 - 10/18/2010, 11:37 PM
@ThaJackaL- I agree with you %100 on the Routh-front lol the dude sucks.

As for the Siegel family, [frick] it. All they want is money and they are greedy bastards. but [frick] it. WB has no idea how to make a Superman film so i say- give it to the siegels, maybe they can make a better Superman film.
LP4
LP4 - 10/18/2010, 11:53 PM
@RacerREX- You have noooo idea =) LOL
Hellmont
Hellmont - 10/19/2010, 12:17 AM
Honestly Now STFU about any Routh Boot...Aint Happening

Hey if the Heirs want their money so be it give it to them. Yeah Id like to see any of you whiny bitches owning the rights to a character like Superman and not demanding what is $$$$ owed to you.
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/19/2010, 1:16 AM
smallville,superman returns & now this.

when will this end,hasn't the fans & the superman franchise suffered enough.

come on give us the superman movie we deserve.

1.zack snyder (300,watchmen & sucker punch,nuff said)
2.brandon routh (give him a chance)
3.a decent villain for supes to punch (brainiac,doomsday,mongul or darkseid)
Dmon
Dmon - 10/19/2010, 2:23 AM
@Hellmont and IronicMan The family and the creators have been paid several times. How many of the creators' relatives need to get paid? The relative of Scuster that is suing is his F*ing nephew. They are just vindicative the family has no desire to make a deal with DC/WB and out of spite want to take the character to another company. Look it up. DC/WB and many writers have made Superman what it is today. If the family wins Superman will not be recognizable at all. Plus think about all the relationships DC characters like Batman and the JLA have with Superman that will all be gone.
frigidgiantinthe716
frigidgiantinthe716 - 10/19/2010, 2:45 AM
How can u consider the heirs greedy bastards when WB is rushing to put the movie out for what? Oh yeah. That's right... money.
Orehrepus
Orehrepus - 10/19/2010, 3:00 AM
Dmon
Dmon - 10/19/2010, 3:07 AM
@frigidgiantinthe716 the heirs want to destroy the character they have no desire to make a deal with DC/WB they want to sell it to someone else. Plus how many times should they get paid, how many relatives, should 3rd cousins get paid too?
rodsvilaca
rodsvilaca - 10/19/2010, 4:05 AM
It's simple: REcreate Superman mythos from the ground and make him DIFFERENT. Change his name, his origins and his appearance.
Bronemeister
Bronemeister - 10/19/2010, 4:08 AM
@mbembet no.
SmokinIndo
SmokinIndo - 10/19/2010, 5:49 AM
I don't understand how the folks of Superman's creator even deserve a penny. Sure the guy was the creator of Superman, but he was working for DC COMICS! That was clear as day to him when he first wrote ink on the pages of Supes. He would be disgusted by his families' shameless way to get money.
AxlKomix
AxlKomix - 10/19/2010, 5:50 AM
Honestly, if Siegel and Shuster were here today I doubt they'd want this. As someone who's created my own characters with prospects to have them become popular, all that matters to me is that I get my story out there. What the hell are these greedy coatail riders gonna do with the rights anyway? Worst case scenario: they take Superman away from DC and Warner Bros. completely. If that happens, what the hell are they gonna do? This whole thing is stupid. I think if this went national and the whole country knew about this, then the "heirs" would have the entire country turned against them. Superman is too inconic to be destroyed like this.
StrangerX
StrangerX - 10/19/2010, 5:56 AM
I'm not worried. Nolan and Snyder are a perfect comic book movie combination.I'm sure they have already thought about this legal situation, and have come up with an incredible way to make this movie to keep everyone happy.
comicb00kguy
comicb00kguy - 10/19/2010, 6:37 AM
For those of you who want to question the creators' families, who are continuing a decades-long legal battle started by the two men many years ago, I have a simple question: How would you feel if YOU were in their shoes? How would YOU feel about seeing a huge corporation built off your idea, while you were shut out from anything resembling a fair cut of the profits that YOUR idea generated, while you were barely getting by? Would YOU like to be conned by sleazy lawyers who are far wiser in the intricacies of the law than you are into signing a bad contract that screws you over? Would YOU like to see your idea become a household name and not even get credit for many years as the person who came up with the idea?

Of course you wouldn't. Nobody with a shred of sanity wants to go out there and just GIVE away a billion dollar idea! These families aren't trying to make DC stop using Superman ever again. They just want a fair cut of the huge amounts of money Superman generates to this day. What is wrong with that? Once again, they're just continuing a fight the two creators themselves had waged with DC in one form or another for many years. Me, I'm for the little guy, not the evil corporation.
Dmon
Dmon - 10/19/2010, 7:44 AM
@comicb00kguy actually the family members that are suing do want to take the rights totally away from DC/WB and have no desire to settle with DC/WB research the case.Also the creators were paid several times and in the 1970s DC/WB also decided to give them both free health care for life which they were not required to do. And another thing the lawyer in this case purposely sought out a member of the Shuster family that would sue and found a nephew that would. That's pretty shady. Say DC/WB payed each side $50 million to settle now what would keep another relative coming out of the wood work to sue again in the future. But like I said the the families and their lawyer do not want to settle. Also Siegel and Shuster get credit all the time open any Superman comic you will see in writing on the first page or watch any Superman movie or cartoon during opening and ending credits it will say Superman created by Siegel and Shuster. The family cares nothing for the fans.
ElBicho
ElBicho - 10/19/2010, 7:46 AM
I'm with you comicb00kuy and Xenix.

A birthright is a birthright. I know if my old man invented bendy straws, I'd fight for that sweet, flexible, plastic drnking tube dough...
Dmon
Dmon - 10/19/2010, 7:56 AM
@ElBicho so you would not care if that creation was destroyed? Birthrights what a archaic idea LOL so you support the British royal family to live off British tax payers till the end of time.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/19/2010, 8:05 AM
I say [frick] the heirs lol!

If they win we don't get SUPES, Sorry an all that but they ain't [frick]ing poor like some of us lol!

But if what comicbookguy says is true then sure they deserve a cut!

Hopfully they will get the origin rights, it means we don't get another [frick]ing origin movie! : P

Straight to the SUPER ACTION!!!

LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/19/2010, 8:55 AM
Intruder @ SUPERMAN leading THE AVENGERS lol! ; p

Nunch @ Well I think WATCHMEN was one of the best superhero movies ever made... shows up [frick]ing FOX thats 4 sure!


IF ROUTH not bk then =



Oh or CAVILL! : P
Bryanferryfan
Bryanferryfan - 10/19/2010, 9:01 AM
Superman in the Marvel Universe?!? Where would he fit in!?! He doesn't belong in the Marevel Universe. All comic fans know that. He'd have to be revamped and have a completely different origin or all his adventures in the DC Universe would have to be a dream. He crash lands in the Marvel World as a fully functioning adult, who encounters several Marvel heroes. Maybe he's unintentionally viewed as a villian. I guess it could work. But let's face facts.... he's linked to the DC Universe. Which would make their history a wash. I guess it could be done. But after a bitter lawsuit, I guess they have no choice but to go to Disney/Marvel. What will this do to DC's character dynamics. Man, that's gotta suck. Almost 75 years of stories,characters, backstories down the drain.
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